Tail Credits for VE Day: Blackadder Goes Forth

World War anniversaries have me thinking about Blackadder screen credit.

It’s impressive when tail credits stretch beyond the fast-flashing cards or speedy roll to take on the thematic tone of the movie – even for a portion of list. Blackadder Season IV, however, really goes to town (or to war, in this case) with matching theme of the screen credits to the content of the show. Season IV is the WW1 season, and the tail credits are in cards over scratchy “newsreel” footage:

BLACKADDER GOES FORTH
Captain Edmund Blackadder
ROWAN ATKINSON
Private S. Baldrick
TONY ROBINSON
General Sir Anthony Cecil
Hogmany Melchett
STEPHEN FRY
Lieutenant The Honourable
George Colthurst St. Barleigh
HUGH LAURIE
Captain Kevin Darling
TIM McINNERNY
Title Music
Composed and Arranged by
HOWARD GOODALL
Played by
The Band of the 3rd Battalion
The Royal Anglian Regiment
(The Pompadours)
Bandmaster
WOI TIM PARKINSON
P/Br. 647989 Libotte, J
Vis/E. 110143 Turner, R
Tech/Co. 289346 Massen, D
V/M 420372 Abbott, C
VTE. 614981 Wadsworth, C
Cm/S. 841842 Hoare, J
S/Svr. 733731 Deane, M
Dep/Svr. 713429 Way, N
L/Dr. 991243 Bristow, R
P/Mgr. 323476 Cooper, D
P.Att. 114209 Sharples, V
AFM 529614 Kennedy, J
C/Dgr. 368807 Hardinge, A
M/U Dgr. 862641 Noble, C
Dgr. 404371 Hull, C
Dir. 232418 Boden, R
Prd. 597602 Lloyd, J
(c) BBC tv MCMLXXXIX

Often with contracts specifying exactly how one’s name should be spelled in on screen, it’s doubly-impressive to see these particular credits. They become an integral part of the show and you want to watch and puzzle-out the whole list. Who decides what everyone’s number is?

So… are you inspired? What can you do to really integrate the screen credits to your film?

Cheers & creative credits to you,
P/Mgr. 970210 Patz, D